The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-07

His Work in the Second Church-A Great
Trio of Observation-Disclosures Pecrliarities.
The Second Presbyterian Church, 81 this city,
of which Mr.. Beecher was pastor for eight years,
was organized. with fifteen members. late in the
fall of 1898, in the lecture of the Old Semina
ry. The members were mainly or wholly seceders
from the First Presbyterian Church, following
what was then called the ''New School one of
the leaders of which was Mr. Beecher's father
The little congregation was little increased dur
ing the eight months preceding the arrival Of its
first pastor. The most prominent members were
Samuel Merrill. then president of the State
Bank; his son-in-law, John L. Ketchum, Law
renee NJ. Vance, Edwin j. Peck, VIM. n. Jackson.
Gen. Thomas A. Morris. some of whom however.
probably became members after Mr.. Beecher's
acceptance of the pastorate. He began his work
in this little congregation the last day of July,
$780, in the place of its organization. The lect-
ureroom of the Old Seminary formed the larger
part of the second story, entered from stairway
in the east lobby. A platform breast high ex-
tended across the west end of the room, sur
mounted by railing. The seats were high
backed benches as long as the platform. leaving
a narrow aisle along each wall They would &C
their construction, about two hundred people.
This was the examination and exhibition room
of the school it belonged 20. The lower main
room of the seminary had been occasionally
granted to different sectaries for religious serv
ices, but none had been continuously held for such
purposes before the occupancy by this infant
church
Whatever reputation Mr.. Beecher may have
acquired during his Lawrenceburg pastorate
was confined mainly to his denomination, and
was derived in part, no doubt from the assured
and national fame of his father. At least, when
he came to this city he was known to the gen.
eral public better as Lyman Beechers son than
as young pulpiteer of unusual promise At
the time of his arrival here Rev. James S.
Kemper. now of South Charleston. o. had
been in charge of the seminary a year. and
naturally took good deal of interest in the
son of famous clergyman, recently of his
| own denomination, who was using his Owl
| lecture-room for a church. He soon saw the
| promise in the almost boyish pastor-lttle more
than boyish in age, and no more so in spirit and
action-and the first remark the writer ever
| heard about the man since so widely known anG
admired, was made by Mr.. Kemper to little
knot Of his pupils, one day at recess" s"There
is the making Of splendid man il
him, if he will trust himself ant
| let go of his father. I have never
heard anything finer than his description of th'
angels looking down over the battler.ents O
| heaven anxously watching for the rescue ant
return of sinners" The commentator cam
| from as competent a critic AS there was in tn
city. The winter of 1839-40, in spite of the ex
element OF the great "log- cabin" presidential
campaign, saw the young pastor steadily enlarg
ing the attendance OF his sermons and maxim
more urgent the necessity of more ample accom-
rnodations. Members of the Legislature wer
drawn to the dingy little lecture room in large
crowds than TO any other church in the town
and the members of the Legislature in thos
days were many of them men Of wide repute a
orators themselves. Before the spring of ,S4
opened it was clear that the Second Church mus
have house Of its own and preparations for
were begun.
During Mr. Beecher's early residence here, b.
and his wife lived in the family of the late Hel
vey Bates and he added something to a not yer
fat salary-six hundred dollars year, th
writer thinks in the first year at ieast--by tai
ing as pupils somo of the girls, now grand
mothers, Of the city. TWAS esteemed favo